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Wednesday, 25 November 2015

New Release: River's Torment (Stocoma City 6)

Blurb: Dominant lion shifter River Vivaldi found his fated mate in the midst of a violent territorial war one stormy night. Instead of taking his submissive human home, River abandoned Ricky to the cold. River is the brother and right-hand-man to a crime lord and the family business always comes first. A human who works as a stripper isn’t the appropriate mate for a Vivaldi lion, no matter how hot the heat between them burns.

Ten years later, Ricky suddenly waltzes in and complicates River’s life. Someone’s after Ricky, but Ricky also brings with him an adorable little girl with River’s eyes. With a daughter in tow, River swears he’ll never let them go, but can he convince them to permanently stay?

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and the sparks between them burn even brighter, but can River channel Ricky’s hatred into something else?

STORY EXCERPT

He took a deep breath and entered the Red Room. When
he danced on stage, distance and shadows divided him and River. Here, only a
couple of meters separated Ricky from the man lounging on the couch with a beer
in hand. Without obstruction and bad lighting getting in the way, Ricky was
treated to full disclosure, to the man candy eyeing him the same way he did.

River was built like a fighter, every inch of him
padded with lean and beautiful muscle. He had the signature Vivaldi features
with vivid emerald eyes and short hair the color of beaten gold, but River
wouldn’t mistake him for Prince Charming or for that matter, a gentleman.
Working at a strip joint in gangland territory made Ricky and the other
strippers privy to the latest rumors, and River was made out to be a kind of
bogeyman from what he heard.

Frozen solidly in place, it took everything of Ricky
to stay put. To not furiously work the buttons of River’s designer suit, shirt,
and trousers so he could unveil and devour the sight of his golden flesh. Run
his hands all over those hard pectorals, abdomen, and tight stomach, before
freeing the bulge pressing against his pants.

“Good evening, Declan.” River’s voice sounded deep and
amused.

It took Ricky a second to realize River used his
stripper name. Ricky’s gaze moved up River’s body to rest on his face. His
breath hitched when River’s green eyes pinned his, like a predator assessing
its prey. Ricky swore River’s pupils flickered to an intense and darker shade
of green, clearly showing interest. Despite the air-conditioning in the room,
Ricky felt the heat emanating between their bodies, and his heart suddenly
hammering hard against his chest.

What the fuck? Ricky never had this kind of reaction
with any other man. Jesus Christ. He needed to get his head back in the game.
Finish off this engagement as quickly as possible, because Ricky had a feeling
tangling with River Vivaldi wouldn’t be different from playing with fire. River
wouldn’t just devour him in bite-sized bites, he’d burn him, and Ricky refused
to let another man tear his heart to pieces again.

He’d moved in to Stocoma City with Greg, his boyfriend
from back home. They weathered through bullies, high school, and a very
conservative Christian town, but apparently their relationship couldn’t survive
Sin City. Greg dropped Ricky the moment he snagged a wealthy advertising big
shot he met during a company party. Well, good-bye, bastard. Ricky valued the
lesson Greg left him—never trust anyone too much, especially when it involved
high stakes.

“Tongue-tied?” River asked.

Ricky silently fumed. He glared at River, because the
arrogant asshole probably knew how to use his good looks like a weapon,
although Ricky didn’t doubt River knew his way around a violent and bloody
fight. Ricky straightened his shoulders and sauntered over to the stripper pole
in front of the couch. He tossed River what he hoped was an indifferent and
uncaring look.

“Don’t flatter yourself, handsome. Decided to take a
break after breaking some bones and wrecking our neighborhood?” Ricky said
unthinkingly.

He clutched at the cold metal pole tightly when River
let out a snarl, the sound more animal than human. Come to think of it, despite
his black suit, Ricky could see spots of—oh, God. Was that blood?

Probably none of it belonged to River. A wiser man would
have treaded carefully, but Ricky refused to apologize or grovel in front of an
asshole who never had to work an honest day in his life.

River could have anything and everything he wanted, so
why should Ricky make it easy for him?

ADULT EXCERPT

“When you’re here with me, never talk about other
men,” River firmly told him. To Ricky’s chagrin, River didn’t do more than
thumb the skin on his inner wrist. “Do we understand each other? You’re mine.”

Ricky shakily found his voice. “Well, only for now.
After this half hour ends, I’m no longer yours.”

Mine. Why did that single word reverberate through his
body? It felt like something had woken inside him. Frightening awareness that
deep down, despite his cynicism after his relationship with Greg, Ricky wanted
to belong to someone. Have another man look at him the way River did, like
River couldn’t see anyone else but him in a room full of people.

River frowned, and Ricky couldn’t help but notice the
little scar there, right below his left jaw. He didn’t know why he leaned over,
and his tongue darted out, licking the mark from tip to end. Ricky felt the
sudden change in River’s breathing. He couldn’t understand why he was reacting
irrationally like this with a customer, heck, a stranger, but it didn’t seem to
matter. River clasped the back of his neck, urging him forward, and suddenly
slammed his lips over Ricky’s.

Heat leaped from River’s mouth to his. River didn’t
kiss, he conquered and devoured. Refusing to take it like some damsel waiting
for her prince to take the lead, Ricky responded with equal passion. Their
tongues and lips tangled for dominance, but when River pressed a hand over his
bare chest, right over his thumping heart, Ricky yielded. He opened his lips
wider, so River could thrust his tongue down Ricky’s throat.

River didn’t let go. His hand wandered past Ricky’s
chest, and down his flat stomach. Ricky wasn’t buff. He’d always had a lean
runner’s build, but River didn’t seem to mind. River released his lips. Ricky
panted, looked up at River, and tried to process the thoughts running through
River’s head.

He let out a little sound when River traced the hem of
his chaps. Unlike some shifters, River wasn’t in any hurry. He rested his hand
over the bulge straining against Ricky’s pants, keeping his hand there like a brand.
Was it because shifters had hotter body temperatures compared to average
humans, or was it something simple like chemistry and undeniable lust?

God. Ricky dared River with his eyes to go lower, to
ramp up the game. Clearly, River didn’t ask him here for a private dance, but
was Ricky ready?

No other man, even Greg, had ever elicited this kind
of reaction in his body, or ever made him feel frighteningly excited about
letting another human being take control. Usually Ricky set the terms and did
the driving, but there was something erotic and hot about letting a powerful
shifter like River take the reins.

River unzipped his bottoms, but Ricky grabbed his
hand. “Wait.”

“Wait?” River demanded. It was obvious River wasn’t
used to receiving commands.

“Way to go on the romance, River, but then I suppose
you are paying for my time,” Ricky grudgingly said.

“Like you said, you’re mine to do as I please, but
time is running out.” River flashed Ricky the slightly pointed ends of his
canines. Was Ricky supposed to feel threatened by that? Ricky let out a huff,
but River eliminated any thought of resistance brewing in his head. River
finally drew out his cock, which already stood at half-mast.

“Getting aroused from just one kiss?” River’s grin
widened.

“Oh, shut up. I’m not the only one sporting the
hard-on here,” Ricky argued. He groaned when River flicked the pre-cum off his
tip.

“Good point, Declan.”

“Ricky. That’s my real name. Declan is my stripper
name.” Good God. Ricky had no clue why he would reveal that to River,
practically a stranger. By tomorrow, River would probably forget his name.

“Ricky suits you much better,” River conceded.

He continued pumping Ricky, stroking him from tip to
end, watching Ricky’s every reaction with his intense green eyes. Ricky let out
a surprised yelp when River caught his bottom lip again, and completely stole
away Ricky’s ability to think.

The taste and heat of River spread through him again,
from his chest and all the way directly to his groin, which came to life under
River’s ministrations. A fire had sparked inside Ricky, threatening to burst
into an uncontrollable inferno.

River released his lips and Ricky panted, pressing his
head against River’s shoulder. He gasped when River suddenly increased
momentum, stroking him close to bursting point, but the bastard instantly
stopped.

“What are you doing?” Ricky demanded.

So close. Did River stop on purpose? River’s silence
and amused expression had been answer enough.

“I don’t want you to come yet, not without my
permission,” River mused, zipping him back up.